Any advice for a newbie with a carpet of cyano??? I'm removing it daily at this point... can I do anything other than water changes and take it out???
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Silicates have nothing to do with Red Slime Algae. Cyanobacteria feed off of phosphates (PO4), nitrates (NO3), and DOC's (dissolved organic compounds); and it is photosynthetic. A major cause of a Red Slime Algae outbreak is excess detritus.Also, silicates will get it going. What type of substrate did you use?
Blowing it off with a powerhead and catching it with a net, or canister filter or siphon is best.
Since Scott Brown (??) wrote the article I am assuming he haphazardly included the word silicates without any literature to back it up. Try to find the word silicates in any of these other articles I will post here about Red Slime Algae. Here's one: Red Slime Algae (Cyanobacteria)Limiting Nutrients
Nuisance algae do not overcome the open reefs because of the limited amounts of nutrients available. Therefore, limiting nutrients in your tank will also aid in algae control. Nuisance algae thrives on nitrate, phosphates, and silicate. Reducing these components will help arrest a nuisance algae problem.
Reef Sources Features - Cyano-ra
Exactly, detritus settles in the low flow areas of the tank. This is also where Red Slime Algae grows. Coincidence, I think not. If you siphon the Red Slime Algae very careful lifting it up you'll see there is a grey dust under it - detritus.Another method to help control outbreaks of Cyano is to increase flow in your tank, particularly in the areas where the Cyano thrive. As was mentioned, the bacteria feeds on nutrients in and on the sand bed or rocks. Increased flow can help keep detritus suspended in the water column where it can be skimmed out or captured in a filter sock or other mechanical filtration.
Also, frequent turkey-basting of rocks and sand can help achieve the same outcome.
[h=4][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Limiting Nutrients[/FONT][/h] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Nuisance algae do not overcome the open reefs because of the limited amounts of nutrients available. Therefore, limiting nutrients in your tank will also aid in algae control. Nuisance algae thrives on nitrate, phosphates, and silicate. Reducing these components will help arrest a nuisance algae problem.[/FONT]
Reef Sources Features - Cyano-ra